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[hadareud]

oh I don't bet for the CL, only Premiership. My guess would have been a draw, as is tonight.

I'm gonna be rich!

 

[Wes]

Hmm my Liverpool 3 - 1 Chelsea prediction is a bit unstable now. Normally Benetiz rides above any of Jose's comments and then just out classes him tactically on the field. He seems to have fallen into Jose's web of mind games.

In other news I'm going out tonight so wont see the match. Hope it's really bad!

 

[bud]

if manchester are going to the finals (i hope not because i'd rather have milan in the final), then i hope that chelsea beat liverpool so they can kick manchester's ass in the finals. either way, i hope chelsea defeat liverpool and that sheva (i know lol) scores atleast one goal.

but ballack not playing is really going to affect the team. obi mikel is probably going to replace him (?) and he always passes the ball back to a defender instead of going forward or passing the ball to another midfielder. he's way too defensive.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Arsenal midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who is on loan at Birmingham, is wanted by Blackburn. (Daily Mirror)

I haven't seen Muamba play, but I've heard good things. I think he'll probably be available as he's yet another defensive midfielder that can get forwards that Arsenal have, so they're well covered in that position.

I'd like him, he's only 19 and would be the long term replacement for Savage (who's 32 now), but I doubt we'd be alone in bidding and if Birmingham are promoted, and there's a very good chance of that, he might just decide to stay there.

We've also been linked with Lee Hendrie, which is slightly worrying as he's a left winger and if we're looking at them, perhaps we're not 100% certain of holding onto Pedersen. Of course, it might not be true anyway and even if it is we could just be looking for some back up over that side. He would be available on a free afterall, so there's little reason not to go for him.

 

[Mama Smurf]

If Joe Cole doesn't start for Chelsea with Ballack and Essien out then Mourinho is a damned fool. Joe Cole always does really well against Liverpool for some reason.

 

[bud]

why is essien out. because of the drunk driving?

 

[Mama Smurf]

He's suspended.

Lampard and Makelele will definitely play of course, then it's likely 2 from Joe Cole, Wright-Phillips and Mikel. I suspect Mikel will get the nod as the other two might be seen as too attacking to both be in the side, and then it's one of them.

Kalou could get a look in too potentially, but I think that really would be too attacking.

 

[ElyrionX]

Gotta love Mourinho.

 

[Cornballer]

Regarding Scholesie: it's not that I don't rate him as a player - he's a great player. It's just that he plays for ManU and has wronged Arsenal many times over his career. Do I respect him? Yes. Do I like him? No. Nothing personal. Like someone said on the last page - it's hard to separate the man in the shirt from what's on the shirt.

Also, RIP Alan Ball.

Here's a short highlight reel of a few goals he scored.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I thought some of you might be interested in what Rooney's goal was worth, in terms of stats.

At 2-2, United would have gone to the San Siro with a 32.8% chance of going through. At 3-2 they're now going there with a 60.3% chance...so Rooney's goal has given them 27.5% better odds of making the final.

----

This is my weekly "try and fail to predict Benitez's line up" feature, so here goes.

There are two ways to look at Chelsea. One is that they play such a narrow game that you can potentially attack them with width, so perhaps should play good wingers. The other is that, because they play so narrow you don't want to risk them overpowering you in midfield, so should play to counteract that. I think he'll go with the latter, for the away leg at least.

Anyway, here's what I reckon:

---------------------Reina--------------------

Finnan----Carragher----Agger-----Arbeloa

Gerrard----Alonso----Mascherano----Riise

--------------Kuyt-------Crouch-------------

Unless Joe Cole's playing, I don't really see anyone in the Chelsea midfield who needs to be hassled out of the game, as Sissoko is best at, so I think he'll go for the more tactical Mascherano.

He has 4 players in midfield there, all of whom can defend, but equally all of whom can attack to different degrees, so that seems perfect.

Kuyt and Crouch are the form forwards for Liverpool, so I think they'll get the nods ahead of Bellamy. In particular Kuyt has been scoring recently while Crouch has been the guy to score in Europe. Having said that, Bellamy has been quite effective in Europe, he was particularly good against Barcelona, so if Benitez thinks Chelsea can be hurt with pace, maybe he'll be in instead. Carvalho's pretty fast though.

I could even see him going with one up front, Kuyt or Crouch, with Gerrard supporting and Pennant on the right...but I think that would be a mistake.

 

[Lakitu]

Good team Mama, I agree with you besides Riise, I don't think he's been peforming as of late, and I think Pennant would be best off on the left, he doesn't have the strength of Riise but he has been performing well lately and he was utilized very well on the left against Wigan and his link-up play with Arbeloa is superb.

 

[Mama Smurf]

My worry with Pennant on the left is that you'd then have two right footers on that wing, which Chelsea could exploit, particularly if W-P is playing.

Plus Riise always seems to hit awesome shots against Chelsea. I would say he's the danger guy for Chelsea in the same way that Joe Cole is to you.

 

[Falch]

My prediction tonight:

Chelsea 2:1 Liverpool


Latest news on PSV is that Koeman will probably be fired after next match (sunday), and possible new trainers include Bert van Marwijk, Huub Stevens and Martin Jol.

 

[Lakitu]

My worry with Pennant on the left is that you'd then have two right footers on that wing, which Chelsea could exploit, particularly if W-P is playing.

Plus Riise always seems to hit awesome shots against Chelsea. I would say he's the danger guy for Chelsea in the same way that Joe Cole is to you.

Yeah I do think that Riise is the most realistic choice. I'd love to see Pennant play a role in tonight's game though.

I'm starting to feel the nerves now

 

[psycho_snake]

I'm gonna be rich!

whatever you say hadareud, whatever you say.....

 

[Wes]

You can get 101 to 1 odds on Liverpool winning 4-1. I'm tempted

 

[Mama Smurf]

I'm not bothering looking up every fixture here, but it's easy to check the Premiership table so it's quite interesting seeing the teams home records.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool are superb at home. Chelsea have won 12, drawn 4, whilst Liverpool have won 14, drawn 2 and lost 1. That loss was to Man Utd though, and as anyone who saw the game knows they completely outplayed United, just couldn't score.

Likewise, they both beat each other at home. Chelsea won 1-0 and Liverpool won 2-0.

Looking at the stats, which aren't necessarily as accurate as normal for CL games as teams my play differently than they would in a one off tie (for example Liverpool might play for a draw as that's a great result, whereas they'd try and win in the Premiership), things are pretty close.

For this leg, Chelsea have a 47% chance of winning, Liverpool 22% and there's 31% chance of a draw. Overall though, across both legs, Chelsea have a 38.5% chance of winning, Liverpool 30% and 31.5% chance of a draw (in which case it may well swing one way or the other thanks to away goals).

So it's really close. I'm looking forwards to seeing how the stats swing based on whatever the result is tonight. Even a 0-0 makes the second leg really interesting, because while Liverpool are more likely to win at Anfield than Chelsea are, I suspect (haven't looked it up to check) things would actually favour Chelsea as apart from a 0-0 (which would take it to extra time) any draw or Chelsea win would take them through.

 

[psycho_snake]

I thought some of you might be interested in what Rooney's goal was worth, in terms of stats.

At 2-2, United would have gone to the San Siro with a 32.8% chance of going through. At 3-2 they're now going there with a 60.3% chance...so Rooney's goal has given them 27.5% better odds of making the final.

He almost doubled our chances of going through with that goal. He's given us a really good chance of going through. We should have neville and vidic back for the next leg. Unfortunately Evra is going to miss the game, so Heinze will have to play at left back, which isnt a bad thing because he played very well yesterday. if he can replicate that performance at san siro we should be safe. I really wish we had ferdinand back because he's got the pace to handle kaka. It would be a huge bonus if gattuso and maldini are not fit for the second leg. When they were taken off Milan lost a bit of their edge.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Liverpool beating Chelsea 4-1 tonight has a 0.2% chance. Put another way, 1 in 500. So those odds aren't actually that good.

 

[CAPCOWNED]

In Crouch we trust.

Liverpool will win 3-1.

 

[Cornballer]

ZOMG! That picture almost looks fake - just Crouch limbs flying all over the place. :lol

 

[psycho_snake]

Im not ssure who is going to win tonight. If Chelsea play a 4-4-2, then they'll be exposed on the wings and Liverpool have always caused damage to chelsea when they play like that. I dont think there will be too many problems with chelsea overpowering the liverpool midfield. Liverpool have always been so solid in midfield, so I can see them holding off the chelsea midfield.

Im not sure if Liverpool should play a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1. Both formations give them width, but the 4-5-1 gives them one less target man. Maybe its more important to have a three man central midfield, just to make sure that the chelsea midfield is limited.

 

[PleoMax]

Chelsea is going to win today, and is going to be in the final.

 

[celestial body]

For you United fans: Gazzetta reports Gattuso will be fit but not Maldini.

 

[Wes]

Liverpool beating Chelsea 4-1 tonight has a 0.2% chance.

Where did you pluck that number from?!

 

[milanbaros]

Where did you pluck that number from?!

Sounds like a finkelstein number.

 

[hadareud]

In Crouch we trust.

Liverpool will win 3-1.

 

[WARCOCK]

For you United fans: Gazzetta reports Gattuso will be fit but not Maldini.

:,(

I just hope if they make it through he will be fit for the final.

 

[Lakitu]

Zenden is playing on the left for Liverpool, oh God WHY? He's awful

 

[Cornballer]

http://www.garycmartin.com/images/octopus_look.jpg

:lol

 

[hadareud]

Zenden is playing on the left for Liverpool, oh God WHY?

for the ladies

edit: and for the personal war Benitez vs Mama Smurf

 

[psycho_snake]

For you United fans: Gazzetta reports Gattuso will be fit but not Maldini.

Thats half good news. It would have been nice if gattuso was out for the game. He keeps the midfield together and protects the defence.

 

[Wes]

I don't think Zenden is awful but he does seem to have either really good games or the more common bad games. I hope for Liverpool's sake it's the former tonight.

 

[sedaku]

15 minutes, hopefully this match will be as good as yesterday.

Chelsea 2 - 4 Liverpool.

 

[psycho_snake]

More peter crouch pictures. These are from http://www.crouchmania.com/pictures.html

 

[Mama Smurf]

-------------------------Reina--------------------

Arbeloa-----Carragher------Agger--------Riise

Gerrard----Mascherano----Alonso-----Zenden

---------------Bellamy--------Kuyt -------------

God how I hate you.

I mean,

God how I hate you.

To be fair, to me, Finnan isn't even on the bench as he failed to recover from his neck injury in time, so Benitez really had no option but to put Arbeloa at right back, and that in turn left him with no option but to play Riise at left back. It's possible if would have been the defence and midfield I said otherwise.

Though I got the front two wrong anyhow.

 

[Mama Smurf]

At least I can predict Mourinho's teams:

------------------Cech---------------------

Ferreira----Terry----Carvalho----A Cole

----------------Makelele-------------------

----Lampard-----Mikel---------J Cole----

-----------Drogba-----Shevchenko------

 

[Mama Smurf]

As far as I can tell, no one from the Liverpool starting line up is at risk of suspension for the return leg, largely thanks to Kuyt's deliberate booking in the first PSV game. Pennant's one away if he comes on though.

Chelsea have Joe Cole and Drogba at risk...man what a blow Drogba would be if they lost him...and Diarra from the bench.

EDIT: You're all jerking off to that picture, aren't you?

Where's our resident lone Chelsea fan?

 

[Lakitu]

I wish Elsa Benitez was our manager.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I'd let her rotate my policy any day.

 

[Wes]

I know a lot of people like this thread and it has developed some awesome discussion over the past year but I think i'm right in now saying:



/thread.

 

[PleoMax]

You guys gotta be shittin me.

This:

Is being...

By this monster:

Noo...nooo i don't believe it. Gotta be his sister or his daughter or some shit.

 

[Lakitu]

They have no relation, don't let the last name fool you.

BTW, lock this thread.

 

[Wes]

Her and Gerrard's lass would make a fine ensemble. Crouch's girl could like watch or write a story for me.

 

[hadareud]

no it's alright, I didn't feel like playing anyway boss. I'll just sit here right beside you.

 

[PleoMax]

Can i get a link for a Radio Live Broadcast of the game?

 

[Cornballer]

I leave for a half an hour and my goodness - say hello to Elsa Benitez. She's much easier on the eyes than Rafa's other doppelganger:

Teams:
Chelsea: 1-Petr Cech; 20-Paulo Ferreira, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 26-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 12-John Obi Mikel, 8-Frank Lampard, 4-Claude Makelele, 10-Joe Cole; 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 11-Didier Drogba

Liverpool: 25-Pepe Reina; 2-Alvaro Arbeloa, 23-Jamie Carragher, 5-Daniel Agger, 6-John Arne Riise; 8-Steven Gerrard, 14-Xabi Alonso, 20-Javier Mascherano, 32-Boudewijn Zenden; 17-Craig Bellamy, 18-Dirk Kuyt

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

 

[Wes]

Can i get a link for a Radio Live Broadcast of the game?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/fivelive.shtml

That's the link that creates the pop-up for the game. If that doesn't work try lookign on their main page http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/

 

[PleoMax]

I'm in goddamn spain, this shit won't play on T.V, i'm getting sick of this damn country, goddammit SHIT!!!

I've missed the 7-1, The milan Bayern, **** this shit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/fivelive.shtml

That's the link that creates the pop-up for the game. If that doesn't work try lookign on their main page http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/

They can't bring the event to online. Can't believe this shit.

I'm about to go to the streets and kill a mother****er

 

[Cornballer]

Text commentary on the Guardian

Preamble: It may only take a second to score a goal but it takes three years of mutual loathing and, yes, fear to produce the gruesome goalless draw that's likely to unfold tonight. At least that's the pessimistic way of previewing the 14th meeting of Chelsea and Liverpool since October 2004. But allow me to play Joanna to you, the Eddy Grants of the world, by giving you hope: I reckon Liverpool won't seek to suffocate Chelsea as they have in their previous four Champions League meetings because Rafa Benitez is surely aware that this Chelsea side are eminently capable of winning in Anfield next week if necessary - so a 0-0 draw would not be a good result for Liverpool: they must try to exploit the absences of the increasingly effective Michael Ballack and the simply awesome Michael Essien by going for victory at the Bridge. Or at least an away goal.

Why West Ham have nothing to do with European football: Alans Pardew and Curbishley selected loafers like Hayden Mullins and Niger Quashie ahead of Javier Mascherano before the mindless Hammers gleefully offloaded him to Liverpool. Tonight Benitez starts him instead of the excellent Momo Sissoko - and it's the right decision: the Argentinian's intelligent vitality has been invaluable in recent games, eclipsing even that of the Malian. Essien would probably steamroller him, of course, and scrambling with the ever-improving John Obi Mikel may still prove a mission too far - but it promises to be a high-quality duel.

Other notable selections include the crucial return of Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea's defence, of which he - not England's John Terry - is the rock. The decision to deploy Paulo Ferreira at right-back rather than the more offensive Geremi or Lassana Diarra suggests Mourinho is worried about John Arne Riise, who, along with Steven Gerrard, is Liverpool's most likely source of a goal tonight (slow of foot and wild of finish, Dirk Kuyt is the worst Liverpool striker since Paul Stewart; Craig Bellamy offers nothing but speed, which Chelsea are well equipped to cope with).

Steve Finnan has provided more assists than any other Liverpool player in this season's Champions League but he's out injured. So in comes Alvaro Arbeloa. The inclusion of Boudewijn Zenden in midfield is a spit in the eye to common sense. I can only think that, having won the competition with Djimi Traoré in 2005, superstitious Benitez thinks that picking one player who has no business being at one of the best clubs brings luck. Or maybe he thinks the Dutchman's black belt in judo could come in handy if a fight breaks out. Which, given the way Mourinho has been stirring things up all week, is not impossible.